simonhales

simonhales · 22-10-2009, 09:14 AM

Hi

I have a pristine copy of "Wing Commander Armada", which I would like to submit as it shows up as "Abandonware" using the checklist given in the FAQ page.

This game is part of the Wing Commander series by Origin.

I have the complete game including box, disks and manuals but do not have access to a scanner so I may have to manually write a "README" document containing the essential information from the manuals.

I have never been able to get this game to run under Windows XP but since downloading DOSBOX I have got it to run fine with no special settings needed.

The 3D graphics are very good, much better than Wing Comander I, II or Academy, the other games from the series on this site.

The game allows you to fly for either the Terran Confederation or the Kilrathi Empire which none of the other games posted on this site let you do. Finally you get to fight for the glory of the Emperor against the cowardly Terran apes

5 different fighter types for each side are flyable.

There are 3 single player game modes:

"Gauntlet": Fly against increasingly difficult waves of enemy fighters. You start in a basic "Arrow" (or "Dralthi") light fighter and get a more powerful ship every few waves.

"Armada": Strategy game where you explore planets in a randomly generated "sector" of planets connected by jump lines to mine for resources which you use to build fighters, more mines, shipyards and fortresses. You start with a carrier and two light fighters, and the enemy has the same. When you cross paths with enemy fighters you select a friendly fighter to pilot and enter a classic Wing Commander space battle for control of that planet. Win the game by finding the enemy carrier and destroying it with a torpedo-capable heavy fighter.

"Campaign": Set of 11 "Armada" scenarios in a row. Score points by winning sectors and by number of mines, shipyards, fortresses and fighters built. Highest score wins after 11 rounds. Unlike "Armada", which randomly generates sectors, "Campaign" always uses the same sequence of 11 sectors.

The game can also be played by 2 players, using "Split Screen", an IPX network or a serial/modem connection. I have not tested any of these under DOSBOX yet.

There are four 2-player game types:

"Battle": Each player chooses a ship type for a classic dogfighting "duel". This would be very playable if you can get two DOS (or DOSBOX) systems connected as humans are much more fun to fight than AI, especially the AI in a game this old...

"Gauntlet": Co-operative 2 player version of the "Gauntlet" single player game.

"Armada" and "Campaign": Same as single player versions of these game types except you are competing against another player instead of computer AI. Again this would be very playable (like chess with spaceships!) when competing against a real opponent.

One feature that should be fun in 2 player mode is the ability to create new "Taunt" files from standard ".wav" sound samples to insult your opponent during a battle

Sorry for the long post but the FAQ did say to give as full a description of the game as possible

Simon Hales

*TotalAnarchy* · 24-10-2009, 10:25 AM

Actually you didn't have to write such a long description. But thank you for your contributions. It is [APPROVED] and I'll send you FTP access and instructions in a PM.

But first how much does it weigh in MB?

simonhales · 24-10-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TotalAnarchy

Actually you didn't have to write such a long description. But thank you for your contributions. It is [APPROVED] and I'll send you FTP access and instructions in a PM.

But first how much does it weigh in MB?

Hi

The ZIP file of my Armada installation directory is about 7.1MB in size. Alternatively, I could use my Linux installation to "dd" disk images of the 6 1.44MB 3.5" installation disks, which would come to about the same size. I have also found elsewhere on the Internet a PDF copy of one of the Armada manuals which is about 900kB in size. I will probably have to add a small README file distilled from other game documentation that will be a few 10's of kB in size.

Since posting the original offer I have had more time to read the configuration files for DOSBox and have looked at its serial and IPX functionality. Although I have not tried it out yet as I don't have a second computer to run DOSBox on, it looks as if Armada's ground breaking (at the time) 2-player mode will work fine on DOSBox using either serial or IPX emulation. So it should be possible to enjoy some human vs human (or Cat vs Ape!) action

Regards

Simon Hales

Saccade · 25-10-2009, 02:50 AM

I am sure the .Zip will be fine.
I don't know how many people will be able to figure out how to use the images... Or even be wanting to play it on Linux, when windows with Dosbox is easier.

If the manual has another site's watermark on it, don't tell anyone and remove the watermark so no-one can see it.
Just don't put your name on it instead; perhaps credit the author, if you can't reach them for permission to use (I don't know who's supposed to do that...).

If the readme is for technical documentation, please keep it neat and precise - any editorialising, keep for the end. Tech's more important.

To fully make use of Dosbox's IPX you can use something called Hamachi.
It makes a virtual local network over the internet - dosbox can use this.
Check it out and join up to play some multiplayer games

There's a game called Blood floating around somewhere...
[ed]
Oh look - here it is.
You need to change the keys and set the mouse up as well as graphics.

*TotalAnarchy* · 25-10-2009, 03:49 AM

Yes, you can upload the zip file. And we don't need manuals taken from somewhere else, Saccade.

Saccade · 25-10-2009, 02:15 PM

What manuals..?
lol